Ft. Sheridan`s Lakefront Setting Has Little Appeal To Park Services

It appears unlikely that Ft. Sheridan, one of 86 military installations that a federal commission has earmarked for closing, will become either a state or a national park.

Spokesmen for the National Park Service and the Illinois Department of Conservation say their agencies have little interest in acquiring Ft. Sheridan`s 1.75 miles of lakefront property for public use.

A number of conservation groups and open-space advocates are urging that the 730 acres of the old Army garrison be converted to public use. While their concerns are partly motivated by a desire to keep developers away, the conservation service and National Park Service have other considerations in designating park land.

The Illinois Department of Conservation sees Ft. Sheridan as a budget buster. The department still has eight state parks it has been unable to open for nearly two years because the state agency cannot afford to equip or staff them, said Charles Tamminga, public information director for the department in Springfield.

``I don`t think we could have Ft. Sheridan as a nonoperating park,``

Tamminga said. ``The public would demand that we do something with it right away.``

The North Shore Army post is also only a few miles from Illinois Beach State Park in Zion, which has 4,160 acres and had 2,322,000 visitors in 1987, making it Illinois` most popular state park.

To become a national park, Ft. Sheridan would require approval by Congress and would have to meet National Park Service criteria.

One of the park service`s requirements is that the property ``is something that has national significance or has exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the natural and cultural themes of our nation`s heritage.``

Another is that the land ``maintain a high degree of integrity as a true, accurate and relatively unspoiled example of its type of resource.``

Duncan Morrow, media information director for the park service, said these criteria apply to landmarks that may have exceptional importance, such as historic areas like Ft. Sumter and Independence Hall in Philadelphia, which have national park designation.

Ft. Sheridan does have many buildings almost a century old that may meet the test of integrity and quaintness. It also has an abundance of recreational facilities, including beaches, a golf course, swimming pool, bowling alley and theater. All these attributes were cited in a 1977 National Urban Recreation Study conducted by the National Park Service.

``Many of the buildings (at Ft. Sheridan) are in good condition and, with slight modification, could be used for recreational purposes,`` the report said. ``Much of the fort is esthetically attractive and is well-endowed with recreation facilities.``

But the report stopped short of suggesting that Ft. Sheridan become a federal park. Rather, it said, the post would present ``an outstanding open space opportunity`` for the state and local governments in Illinois.

The other options for public use of Ft. Sheridan could be to make it part of the Lake County Forest Preserve District or a public park for its neighboring communities of Highwood, Highland Park and Lake Forest.

However, acquisition by Lake County also could be an iffy proposal. The forest preserve district`s board already has voted to acquire land near the fort. Late last year it voted to acquire 800 acres in the Middlefork Savanna, near Lake Forest and Ft. Sheridan, for public use and preservation of natural plant life.